David Graeme McAllister (born 25 November 1963) is the former artistic director and
principal dancer
A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company.
A principal may be either gender. The position is similar to that of ''Soloist (ballet), solois ...
of
The Australian Ballet
The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...
.
Biography
David McAllister was born in 1963 in
Perth
Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
, Western Australia. A graduate of the
Australian Ballet School
The Australian Ballet School is the premier ballet training facility in Australia, located in Melbourne.
History
The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scot ...
, he joined The Australian Ballet in 1983. He was promoted to senior artist in 1986 and to principal artist in 1989. His many principal roles with the company included those in ''
Onegin'', ''
Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'', ''
La fille mal gardée
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
*"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...
'', ''
The Sleeping Beauty'', ''
Don Quixote
, the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
'', ''The Sentimental Bloke'', ''
Coppélia
''Coppélia'' (sometimes subtitled: ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Émail'' (The Girl with the Enamel Eyes)) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis-Éti ...
'', and ''
Manon
''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was f ...
''.
In 1985, he won a bronze medal at the fifth
Moscow International Ballet Competition, which saw him invited to return to the USSR as a guest artist, where he made numerous appearances with the
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest Ballet company, ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it ca ...
, the
Kirov Ballet
The Mariinsky Ballet () is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...
, the
Georgian National Ballet
The Georgian National Ballet ( ka, ქართული ეროვნული ბალეტი, tr) is the first professional state dance company in Georgia (country), Georgia. Founded by husband and wife Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvil ...
and other companies. In 1989, McAllister was guest artist with the
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca, the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
, dancing
John Cranko
John Cyril Cranko (15 August 1927 – 26 June 1973) was a South African ballet dancer and choreographer with the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet.
Life and career
Early life
Cranko was born to Herbert and Grace Cranko in Rustenburg in ...
's ''
Romeo and Juliet
''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...
'' as well as ''
Études'' and ''
The Four Temperaments''. He has also been a guest artist with
Birmingham Royal Ballet
Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of the five major ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside The Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet, Northern Ballet and Scottish Ballet. Founded as the Sadler's Wells Theatre Ballet, the co ...
and
Singapore Dance Theatre. In London in 1992, he took part in the royal gala performance of ''Coppélia'' in the presence of the
Princess of Wales
Princess of Wales (; ) is a title used since the 14th century by the wife of the Prince of Wales. The Princess is the apparent future queen consort, as "Prince of Wales" is a title reserved by custom for the heir apparent to the Monarchy of the ...
.
McAllister has worked as a guest teacher with
The McDonald College, the
Australian Ballet School
The Australian Ballet School is the premier ballet training facility in Australia, located in Melbourne.
History
The Australian Ballet School was founded in 1964 as the primary training facility for The Australian Ballet by Dame Margaret Scot ...
, the Dancers Company, the
Royal Academy of Dance
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is a UK-based examination board specialising in dance education and training, with an emphasis on classical ballet. The RAD was founded in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Danci ...
, the
Cecchetti Society, and the Australian Institute of Classical Dance. In November 2000, he completed a graduate diploma in Arts and Entertainment Management at
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974 with antecedent history since 1887, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia and a founding father of Australian Fede ...
.
McAllister danced for the final time in ''
Giselle
''Giselle'' ( , ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (; ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet () in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, it was first perfor ...
'' on 24 March 2001 at the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
and became artistic director of The Australian Ballet in July 2001. He was elected vice president of the Royal Academy of Dance in 2005. In March 2020, it was announced that
David Hallberg would succeed McAllister as the new artistic director of The Australian Ballet, effective January 2021.
Personal life
McAllister is the domestic partner of Australian playwright and artistic director
Wesley Enoch.
[
]
Bibliography
*
*
Honours
In 2001, McAllister was awarded a Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or g ...
.
In the 2004 Australia Day Honours he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
for his services to ballet and was promoted to Companion of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours on 14 June 2021.
In April 2021, McAllister was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award by the Royal Academy of Dance
The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) is a UK-based examination board specialising in dance education and training, with an emphasis on classical ballet. The RAD was founded in London, England in 1920 as the Association of Teachers of Operatic Danci ...
(RAD).
Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001.
The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...
is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. In 2020, McAllister received the JC Williamson Award, the LPA's highest honour, for his life's work in live performance.
, -
, 2020 , , Himself , , JC Williamson Award , ,
, -
References
External links
"David McAllister AC – Artistic Director 2001–2020"
The Australian Ballet
The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:McAllister, David
1963 births
Living people
Australian male ballet dancers
Entertainers from Perth, Western Australia
Companions of the Order of Australia
Australian LGBTQ dancers
21st-century Australian LGBTQ people